Lighter

Ah the feelings about this book. What a delightful and beautiful story. This book was very much needed at these times. The story was about a teen named Rasheed whose grandma suffered a stroke and his mom arrived back in his life. Juggling his feelings of anger, anxiety and love towards an absentee mom and an ill grandma, he had to figure out what to do with those feelings. Adam was the former friend, and current love interest that was amazing for him. Rasheed needed hope and love. Adam’s family members and Paul were great side characters that allowed us to see what a beautiful and supportive family looks like for Adam and Rasheed. And I really loved Rasheed’s friends. They were loyal, funny, and compassionate people that truly cared for each other. Overall, this was a cute, quick and delightful YA romance story. Definitely pick this book up.
I received this ARC from the publisher and Netgalley for my honest review. Thank you for my copy!

There was so much to love about this book. Rasheed is a very relatable teen, struggling with the reality of his grandmothers health and the sudden return of his absentee mother. The way that both relationships play out on the page -- plus the inclusion of Paul -- is painfully real. Families are imperfect, and not everyone can be the person you need them to be, and this book shows this wonderfully while still giving Rasheed the support he needs through his Granma.

The romance plot is well done, too. The way Adam's side of things is revealed is perfect for a mutual pining where the MC is oblivious. I was expecting more drama to be thrown at them for the sake of drama, but was pleasantly surprised that the focus remained on both Rasheed and Adam's familial journeys.

I really enjoyed reading Lighter. The book is written in an authentic and engaging way — and I would gladly share it on my classroom shelf or in the school library.

This was such a fun, lighthearted and quick read. While there were some serious topics it was mostly just funny and easy. I love family dynamics but often with lgbt books the family is only there to cause drama with a coming out so this was refreshing that this wasn't the focus of the book. I love Rasheed he's a lovely guy and his thought process made a lot of sense to me and his dynamic with his grandma was heartwarming. Also the way his friendship with Adam happened and their tension was just so fun to read about. While this wasn't anything new or extraordinary I do recommend it if you want a fun, quick, lgbt read. They don't have to always be full of drama, the gays love cute and fluff too.

Rasheed is a Kenyan teenager living in the Dallas-area with his grandma, who has raised him. His mother is a filmmaker, and she's been largely absent in his life, even before she got them out of Kenya. Grandma had been abused by her husband, and they had been in flight from his wrath before they were brought to the US. He's always felt less than, because his mom never seemed to take an interest in him.

Rasheed is out to his grandma and friends, and has been for several years. It was the reason he pulled away from his close friendship with Adam Herman, a boy his own age and at his high school, for whom Rasheed had his first love. Adam is the fourth of six kids in a tight-knit family, with younger twin sisters and three older brothers. Adam's mom and Rasheed's grandma are good friends, and that is how he and Rasheed developed a friendship as children. When Rasheed's grandma has a stroke the Herman's take Rasheed in for a couple of nights, so he doesn't have to be alone.

And, that was when his mom returned.

Rasheed's world is in a tailspin, it seems, as he struggles with his fears over his grandma's health, her deepening relationship with a local man called Paul, when his mom will take off again, and what's up with his reconnection with Adam. The whole family seems to embrace Rasheed, and he's grateful for the space and connection--what he's been lacking at home. It's a sweet story, with Rasheed being so awkward about most things, dodging an ex that he did wrong, and fearing the growing attraction that he feels for Adam--at least until Adam confesses his own secrets.

This is a YA romance and the physical affection between Rasheed and Adam is commensurate with the genre. It's really a lot about figuring out the struggles and giving Rasheed the ability to mend relationships that should have been more strong to begin with. I love Rasheed, his cultural roots, and how he gains the strength to hold himself and others accountable for their actions. The Herman's are an awesome family, and a great support, as is grandma and Rasheed's other close friends: Mo and Peep. It's a fun story and I loved it from start to finish.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed how Rasheed's story had a lot of nuance. Lighter really explored his relationships with different people in his life whether than was romantic, friendships, or familial. It added a lot more complexity to Rasheed's story that isn't always seen in YA queer romance novels. I particularly enjoyed the small, slice of life scenes A. Aduma captured in this book such as the everyday moments between friends and cooking with grandmothers. These weren't always critical to the plot, but they added more to the characters. Every character felt like they had their own story and not just like they revolved around the main character. Overall, I enjoyed this book and will probably get my own copy to include in my classroom library.

Initially i gave this 5 stars, and then after sitting on it for a while I've settled on 4 stars, because there were a few things i didn't love.

First things first though, i was provided a copy of Lighter through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lighter was your classic YA coming of age romance, with just the right about of family drama and parental presence.

We follow Rasheed as he deals with a poor break up (on his part), a poorly grandmother, the return of his estranged mother, and a reconnection with an old friend, that might just be more.

like i said, its a classic story and while for some that may make it seem a bit forgettable, but personally i had a lot of fun reading Lighter and i think it will be one that i revisit.

It was written with a very straightforward writing style, and Rasheed's friendship group were very one dimensional and surface level for me. That's why i decided on 4 stars and not 5. It seemed as though we could have erased them from the story and it would not have impacted a single event.
On the other hand, while i thought Adam (the estranged friend) could have had a bit more depth, i did really like his character and enjoyed his storyline and interactions with Rasheed.

The thing i loved the most about Lighter was the seamless incorporation of Swahili and African culture. It was funny, just before reading Lighter i watched a booktuber discuss authors having to overexplain and spoon feed their audiences knowledge of their culture, to the point of impacting their writing, due to publishers completely disregarding the fact that the authors intended audience may not be white/western etc.

Then i read Lighter and Aduma incorporated Rasheed's culture in a way that wasn't intended to teach the audience every aspect, or followup every sentence with an explanation. it was so natural, and while i didn't understand the Swahili, i didn't have to. it was written in such a way where the context of the situation was all i needed, or the next sentence really cleverly gave the context. and there was a glossary at the back.

Highly recommend!